Haveri: 18,000 BT Cotton seed packets to be sold

HAVERI: The district administration in association with the Agriculture department is set to provide the much-sought-after Mahyco Research (Kanaka) BT Cotton seeds from May 8 in all 54 sales points in the district.
 As many as 18,000 packets of the seeds will be sold in the district, including 3,153 in Haveri taluk.
The cost of the seeds will be priced `930 per packet. Farmers have to show their cards issued by the Agriculture department, their RTC and voter identity cards at the counter.
 Sales points have been arranged in Haveri, Ranebennur, Hirekerur, Shiggaon, Hangal and on Savanur APMC premises in all Raitha Samparka Kendras and taluk stadium in Byadgi.
Joint director of Agriculture department Kemparaj said that the Agriculture department had aimed to sow cotton on 1,07,400 hectares of land.
Speaking at the Haveri Taluk Agriculture Produce Cooperative Marketing Society on Monday,  he said the district needed 4.02 lakh packets of 40 different varieties of Bt cotton seeds, of which companies had already supplied 2.24 lakh packets.
The Kanaka variety is the most sought after BT cotton seed. Even though over 40 different BT cotton seeds are available in the market, farmers demand for Kanaka BT cotton seeds. Farmers alleged that the Kanaka Seeds are being sold at `2,000-2,500 per packet in black market. To keep the black market sales under control, the sale has been organised.

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